Introducing travelers to the history and rich culture of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, our 12-day Colorful Capitals multi-country tour gives a taste of the region from an insider’s point of view.

The program starts in Bangkok where guests will visit revered sights such as the Grand Palace, Wat Po and Jim Thompson Museum with rides on tuk-tuks and taxi boats. Flying to Luang Prabang on the third day, the program tours the ancient city’s iconic temples, Mekong River and evening market with opportunities to learn about Lao culture through alms giving, a textile workshop and cooking course. The program continues to Vientiane where guests will visit famed temples as well as participate in a traditional baci ceremony. Crossing borders into Cambodia, they will spend another two days sightseeing in Phnom Penh before heading to Siem Reap to discover its Angkor monuments. The program ends with a flight back to Bangkok.

To view program details of Colorful Capitals, click here.

The four-day Unseen Bangkok City Break showcases the Thai capital from a variety of perspectives. The first day is free for guests to spend at their leisure. The second day explores different corners of the Old Bangkok, with activities such as observing monks’ chanting rituals at Wat Po, a tour of Wat Po and Grand Palace, and a longtail boat ride along hidden canals to a canal-side market. On the third day, guests are offered several touring options to discover Bangkok in greater depth. They can join a culinary excursion to discover street food, fresh markets and traditional cafes or opt for a more active cycling journey through Chinatown and its nearby neighborhoods. For those interested in Thailand’s rich past, they can join a walking tour through Bangkok’s historical areas with a visit to the Museum of Siam. Click here to view the program details.

Specially designed for families, the four-day Chiang Mai Family Adventure offers a mix of soft adventure and culture discovery. On the first day, guests will enjoy an orientation tour of the Chiang Mai town on a trishaw. They will then drive up the mountain by songtaew to Chang Khien Coffee Research Project and White Hmong village before taking part in a private blessing ceremony at Wat Prathat Doi Suthep temple at dusk. The second day will be spent in the great outdoors with activities such as a countryside cycling excursion, elephant trekking, jungle picnic lunch, rubber raft paddling down Mae Taeng River and tea with an Akha hill tribe family. The third day is spent in a homestay at Mae Kampong village in the mountains, where guests can enjoy guided treks and meals with their host family. There is time this afternoon for an optional activity – Flight of the Gibbon – a fun zip-line adventure over tree tops. On the final day, guests can tour the village to view handicrafts making before returning to Chiang Mai with an en-route stop at Sankampaeng Hot Springs. Click here to view the program details.

Our two-day Community Connection is ideal for those who wish to experience a community-based vacation in southern Thailand. A two-hour drive from Phuket to Khao Lak leads to Ban Talae Nok homestay, a village affected by the tsunami a few years ago. After meeting the host family, guests enjoy a local lunch before exploring the area’s mangrove forests by boat with a local guide. There will be some free time for relaxation or a game of football with the village kids before dinner with the family. The second morning, guests join the soap making workshop with Tsunami Soap Co-operative to make local handicrafts. Enjoy a traditional Thai lunch with the host family before driving back to Phuket. Click here to view the program details.

Vietnam Airlines has increased the number of flights on several international routes. The airline added an extra flight per week to Paris and Frankfurt and launched direct flights to Copenhagen for Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Hanoi. For Asian routes, the flight frequency from HCMC to Bangkok has doubled to a total of 14 flights per week. From this November, AirAsia is introducing direct daily flights from Phuket to HCMC.

For clients who wish to experience the rustic charms of Thailand, Discover Old Siam is an ideal fit. This week-long program goes out of Bangkok into nearby provinces such as Chachoengsao, Ayutthaya, Uthai Thani and Kanchanaburi. Program highlights include visits to 100-year markets, Khao Yai National Park and Death Railway as well as an alms-giving ceremony. Click here to view the program details.

Newly opened beside the Chao Phraya River, Chatrium Suites offers 396 spacious rooms with easy access to the city center, expressways and airport. It is currently featuring great value soft opening prices that make this new property one of the best deals for Bangkok’s riverside hotels.

Contact thailand@exotissimo.com for booking details.

Designed for Asian food fans, ‘Culinary Delight of Bangkok’ is a full day trip that introduces travelers to the unique flavors of Thai cuisine. Transferring by local transportation, the guided excursion explores Bangkok’s fresh markets, roadside stalls and specialty restaurants with plenty of opportunities to sample local food and desserts. View more details here.

Up north, the ‘Spirit of Chiang Mai’ is a half-day trip that captures the cultural essence of Chiang Mai. Besides touring ancient chedis and attractions in the city, the excursion also includes a visit to the iconic Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, a mountain temple where guests partake in a private blessing ceremony by monks and observe the evening chanting ritual. Read more details here.

After 10 years of extensive construction, the 150-km stretch of road between Siem Reap and the border town of Poipet is finally completed. The Thai-Cambodian border can now be reached in a record time of 2 hours. Instead of a bumpy 10-hour trip, the time taken for the overland journey from Siem Reap to Bangkok, including all immigration formalities, is now reduced to a smooth 5-6 hour trip.

Khao Yai Escape is ideal for those looking for a unique getaway from Bangkok. Guests not only get to discover the flora and fauna in Thailand’s oldest national park, but they also meet a local medicine man, explore an authentic one-hundred year old market and enjoy a wine tasting session at a vineyard along the way. The park is a 3-hour drive from the capital making this program a great add-on to a Thailand holiday. View the itinerary here.

For those who wish to discover the north, a self-drive trip is a good way to view the lush mountains and countryside scenery. In the 7-day Self-Drive Package of Northern Thailand, Exotissimo will make all necessary arrangements, including accommodation, car rental and provide a road map with suggested routes and activities. Click here to view the program.

Bangkok to Isaan is an 11-day journey that offers great cultural insight into Thailand’s northeastern, the most traditional region in the country. The program attractions include ancient Angkorian temples, pre-historic heritage sites, local cottage industries and rural villages that still practice the old ways of life. The itinerary can be viewed here.

This half-day tour of Bangkok’s art galleries explores Thailand’s contemporary arts scene. The excursion visits the capital’s diverse gallery spaces and provides a good opportunity for art fans to experience cutting-edge art from Thailand and the region. The tour is guided by Steven Pettifor, a leading critic, curator and artist in Thailand. For more details, click here or contact thailand@exotissimo.com.

Bangkok’s famous Chatachak Weekend Market is now open on Friday evenings till midnight, allowing shoppers to peruse the thousands of stalls without the intense day time heat. However, not all shops will open on Friday. The market is open as usual on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 6pm.